This is a longer version of the feature that appeared in The Times in August 2019. One page is never enough to squeeze in all the great stuff to do… but if you’d rather read it online, voila: A weekend in Marseilles
A weekend in Marseille
Shafts of golden light shine down among the narrow streets of Marseilles’ Panier District breaking through an otherwise dark grey sky and it gives the narrow streets a magical air as I wander between rustic boutiques offering handmade jewellery and paintings of Provence. Steps lead up a street bedecked with bunting and lined with a jungle of pot plants, and I turn a corner to admire another colourful wall of graffiti. And then it comes, big wet blobs soak my clothes and hair as the scent of rain on hot stone cobbles rises up from the ground. I wouldn’t normally mind a bit of rain, especially as France’s second city has such enticing shops and interesting museums, but on arrival at the swish new Hotel Les Bords de Mer earlier, the sight of the golden Plage des Catalans right next to it, had me earmark the beach for a late afternoon sojourn.
This is the beauty of Marseilles – a city that locals say is made up from 111 different villages – you can be soaking up the atmosphere in the maze-like Panier district one minute, admiring jaw-dropping architecture the next. Elsewhere you feel you’re in a Middle Eastern souk, then after a quick hop on the bus, you can be reclining on a golden beach. The question is: what to do first?
The swish new Hotel Les Bords de Mer has prime position near the beach, and after checking into one of its minimalist bright white rooms, with its full-length window overlooking the azure sea, I found an even better view from the hotel’s rooftop where a panorama of the city spread out around me. Below, the golden Plage des Catalans where locals were spread out on the sand, and others were wading in the wash as the waves tumbled to shore, and where later in the summer, a new submarine sculpture trail will welcome visitors as they don a snorkel and mask to swim above the statues. Around me, however, a panorama of the city lay out around me, with the Basilique Notre-Dame de la Garde, topped with a gold statue of Mary that glints in the sunlight, surveying from above.
My first destination had to be the Vieux Port, the hub of the city, where Norman Foster’s Ombrière has been enchanting locals and tourists since its installation as part of Marseilles’ role as the European City of Culture in 2013. I stood under the giant mirrored canopy, which measures 22 by 48 metres, and gazed up to see my reflection from directly above.
The port is buzzing, lined with restaurants offering Bouillabaisse and seafood, and I walk on around the harbour which is filled with thicket of yacht masts. This city is all about the sea and Mucem (the Museum of the Civilisations of Europe and the Mediterranean) tells the story of the Mediterranean and its people. The architecturally striking museum was part of the 2013 City of Culture additions, and I wander over the vertiginous bridge that links it to buildings on the harbour and then into the mesmeric walkway, all mirrors and concrete pillars, that spirals around the outside of the main building behind its incredible filigree outer layer.
While the city had its moment six years ago, the intervening years have seen further development in the area north of the old port. North of the city’s other neo-Byzantaine monument the Cathédral La Major, Les Docks is the latest to see transformation. Its most striking emblem is the tricolore tower block designed by star architect Jean Nouvel named ‘La Marseillaise’ but also here are the former warehouses which have been transformed into a hub of independent boutiques, galleries and cafes. I wander through the gigantic building, which surrounds four atriums and find a new outpost of Four des Navettes, a bakery that creates the city’s iconic ‘navette’ biscuits, shaped like narrow canoes, their signature orange flower aroma is tantalising as I walk through the door.
Elsewhere a new shopping centre offers a spectacular view of the ferries coming and going to Corsica, and a great new restaurant but the area still feels a little too new and a bit lacking in Marseillaise character, so I wander back towards the Vieux Port via the Panier District, where washing is strung across the narrow streets like bunting. Graffiti artists have gone big here, with bold colourful murals and slogans, and to add to the character of the place – almost on cue – the dulcet tones of a float out from an upstairs window on the gentle breeze. And then the rain comes.
Later, at Vallon des Auffes, I’m blessed with another dose of sunshine. The tiny harbour is tucked beneath a road bridge and is rammed with small boats. I walk around the waterfront lined by fishermen’s cottages, out to where it meets the sea. Families are picnicking on the rocks and slipway, and swimming from the seawalls, where ladders lead into the water. The water is even more inviting than the Plage de Catalans, and I’m regretting not bringing a cossie for a sunset dip. Dinner awaits, though, and with the queue out the door of the Pizzeria Chez Jeannot for Marseilles’ signature thin-crust pizza, I opt for the other local speciality Bouillabaisse at Chez Fonfon, where the rich fish stew has me licking my lips for more.
The next morning, I troop up the hill to the Basilique Notre-Dame de la Garde to get a spectacular 360-degree view of the city. Although there are wisps of mist and a somewhat gloomy sky, the sight of the city and coastline is breathtaking – the tightly packed, terracotta-roofed buildings interspersed by tower blocks and the white-roofed Orange Velodrome stadium poses like a landed space-ship between them. Inside the cathedral, I can’t decide whether to look up to its golden domes and red-striped arches, or down at the exquisite mosaics on the floor. It’s a dizzying choice.
The biggest feast for my eyes, however, comes in Les Noailles district, where I most enjoy a village feel within the city. It’s here the Middle Eastern and North African shops, bakeries, and cafes abound with spices, olives and pastries and as I wander down the cacophonous Rue Longue des Capucins, and my senses are overwhelmed with the exotic aromas, sounds of Fez-capped men chatting in Arabic and music blaring from the stores’ stereos. Around the corner, in the incredible cook-shop-cum-hardware store Maison Empereur, my mind is boggled again. Each section feels like a mini version of Open All Hours, complete with aproned attendants, and the various departments offer everything from chefs’ knives to Marseille soap. There is so much to see, it’s a wonder I ever leave but I find a little oasis nearby opposite the city’s traditional herbal apothecary, the Herboristerie Père Blaize. The Tisanerie Père Blaize sells ‘tisanes’, or herbal teas that are much-loved by the French. I sit down in the peaceful café corner and sip on a blend of licorice, fennel and verbena titled tisane Chateau d’If’. It’s small compensation for not leaving enough time for a trip to the famous fort, or even the beach, but with 111 different villages to explore, who needs tourist attractions?
Luxury Hotel
Hotel Les Bords de Mer
Every one of this trendy new hotel’s 19 rooms have a sea view, most with a balcony, with superb views of the coast. Rooms are decorated in bright white, with a mid-century vibe. There’s a small spa with indoor pool in the basement (along with access to the beach) and a rooftop swimming pool and a roof-top bar.
Details: room-only doubles from €190 (00 33 4 13 94 34 00, lesbordsdemer.com)
Budget Hotel
Maison Saint Louis
Set in the middle of the buzzing Noailles district, a short walk from the Vieux Port, the Maison Saint Louis is set in a 19th-century mansion and offers 23 simple rooms, with fresh white linen and breezy décor with accents of green. There is a popular bistrot downstairs, and the district is full of Middle Eastern bakeries, shops and cafes.
Details: Room-only doubles from €74 (00 33 4 91 54 02 74, hotel-maison-saintlouis.com).
Need to know
Carolyn Boyd was a guest of the Provence-Cote d’Azur tourist office and the Marseille tourist office. For more information, visit http://www.marseille-tourisme.com/en/
Photos: Marseille Tourist Office